Warning Out on Non-Compliant Leaded Spray Paint
The EcoWaste Coalition has detected lead in another spray paint with no manufacturer’s markings, bringing to 99 the number of such non-compliant aerosol paint products discovered by the group.
As part of its sustained campaign to eliminate lead-containing paints and the risks that such paints pose to human health, the toxics watchdog group revealed that the Greenfield Spray Paint (gold color) it purchased from an online seller for P130 contains lead above the regulatory limit.
The Chemical Control Order for Lead and Lead Compounds issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) established a maximum limit of 90 parts per million (ppm) for total lead in paint. The same regulation phased out leaded decorative and industrial paints in December 2016 and December 2019, respectively.
Using an Olympus Vanta M Series X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, the group detected 1,474 ppm of lead in the said spray paint, which was manufactured on August 24, 2022, or after the country's phase-out deadline for lead-containing paints.
The product has zero information about its manufacturer and country of manufacture, as well as its local importer or distributor.
Spray paints, which are easily accessible to consumers, are marketed to coat articles made of metal, wood, plastic, ceramic and other materials, fix scratches and minor damages in appliances, cars, motorcycles, bikes, toys and accessories, and decorate art and other school projects.
According to the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead Paint (or the Lead Paint Alliance), a cooperative initiative co-led by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), “paints containing lead pose risks both in their application phase (as new paint) and once applied, giving rise to legacy issues that extend beyond the life of the painted surface due to chipping and deterioration or demolition of the painted surface.”
Lead exposure can cause serious health effects, including permanent damage to the brain and the nervous system, problems with kidney function, increased risk of high blood pressure, and reproductive disorders.
“Lead can affect children’s brain development, resulting in reduced intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioural changes such as reduced attention span and increased antisocial behaviour, and reduced educational attainment,” according to the WHO.
“There is no level of exposure to lead that is known to be without harmful effects,” warned the WHO as it pointed out that “lead exposure is preventable."
To protect Filipinos, especially the children, women and workers, against lead exposure, the EcoWaste Coalition again urged the regulatory authorities to strengthen the lead paint ban compliance monitoring efforts and to hold violators accountable.
As the 99 lead-containing paints discovered by the group were mostly sourced from abroad, the EcoWaste Coalition appealed to paint importers, distributors and retailers to ensure that only compliant lead-safe paints are sold in the local market, including in online shopping platforms, in keeping with the country’s lead paint ban.
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Reference:
https://chemical.emb.gov.ph/
https://ipen.org/sites/
https://www.who.int/news-room/
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